Sport and Learning in Australian Culture (EDUH4058)

An understanding of sport is central to an understanding of Australian culture and Australians' sense of who they are in the world. Australia's biggest cultural events are sporting events. Sport is part of day-to-day discourse and yet receives comparatively little attention as an area of serious academic study.

A critical analysis of the practice and meaning of sport in Australian culture, however, provides a deep understanding of not only the unique nature of Australian sport but also of Australian culture and society. This unit of study provides students with a socially critical perspective from which to appreciate the meaning, practice and place of sport in Australian culture.

Focused on the range of learning that takes place through children's and young people's engagement in sport, the course examines the practice of sport at levels ranging from elite, international competitions to grassroots, community-based and school sport. Students will examine the processes of globalisation and commodification in sport and the implications this has for the social and cultural development of children and young people.

Sport and Learning in Australian Culture provides a meaningful educational experience by placing students' firsthand interactions with Australian sporting culture at the centre of the unit of study, by incorporating field trips to relevant sporting events and sites in Sydney. This unit of study will provide valuable socio-cultural insights into Australia for international students; encourage more critical thinking about the role of sport in all societies; and allow all participants to develop an understanding of the global forces that operate in sport, including the impact these forces exert on local cultures.

Field trips

In addition to lectures and tutorials, students will attend a number of field trips such as: